andmother must have
been an _awfully_ nice little girl."

"My grandmother was to outward appearance quiet and rather cold," replied
_their_ grandmother. "For long I was extremely afraid of her, till
something happened which led to my knowing her true character, and after
that we were friends for life--till her death. It is hardly worth calling
a story, but I will tell it to you if you like, children."

"Oh, _please_ do," they exclaimed, and Molly's eyes grew round with
satisfaction at having after all inveigled grandmother into story
telling.

"I told you," grandmother began, "that my grandmother lived in a queer,
very old-fashioned house in the little town near which was our home. It
was such a queer house, I wish you could have seen it, but long ago it
was pulled down, and the ground where it stood used for shops or
warehouses. When you entered it, you saw no stair at all--then, on
opening a door, you found yourself at the foot of a very high spiral
staircase that went round and round like a corkscrew up to the very top
of the house. By the by that reminds me of an adventure of my
grandmother's which you might like to hear. It happened long before I was
born, but she has often told it me. Ah, Molly, I see that twinkle in your
eyes, my dear, and I know what it means! You think you have got
grandmother started now--wound up--and that you will get her to go on and
on; ah well, we shall see. Where was I? Taking you up the corkscrew
stair. The first landing, if landing it could be called, it was so small,
had several doors, and one of these led into a little ante-room, out of
which opened again a larger and very pretty drawing-room. It was a long,
rather narrow room, and what I admired in it most of all were wall
cupboards with glass doors, within which my grandmother kept all her
treasures. There were six of them at least--in two or three were books,
of which, for those days, grandmother had a good many; another held
Chinese and Indian curiosities, carved ivory and sandal-wood ornaments,
cuscus grass fans, a pair or two of Chinese ladies' slippers--things very
much the same as you may see some of now-a-days in almost every prettily
furnished drawing-room. And one, or two perhaps, of the cupboards
contained treasures which are rarer now than they were then--the
_loveliest_ old china! Even I, child as I was, appreciated its
beauty--the tints were so delicate and yet brilliant. My grandmother had
collected much of it hers